Debuff Master

The next morning, Tae-Sung, together with his mother and younger sister, climbed into a top-of-the-line sedan and made their way to the private jet terminal. There, they boarded the private jet that Cheon Woo-Jin had generously allowed them to borrow.

“How is this possible…?”

“Oppa, are we really allowed to fly in this?”

His mother and sister were visibly taken aback by the fact that they would be flying overseas on a private jet. They were aware that Tae-Sung was now a globally renowned pro gamer, but they did not expect it to extend to this kind of luxury.

“It’s not mine. A friend with too much money loaned it to me. Don’t worry about it. Just relax and get some rest. We have about seven hours to go,” Tae-Sung replied, reassuring them before turning to the flight attendant and asking for some champagne.

“It is truly an honor to have you with us today, Mr. Tae-Sung,” the flight attendant greeted him. She seemed clearly astonished by the fact that she was flying with a famous person today.

“The pleasure is mine. Thank you for looking after us during the trip.”

“We will make sure that you have a safe and pleasant journey with us today.”

“Thank you.”

“Yes?”

“Would it be alright if I ask for your… autograph?”

“Sure!”

Tae-Sung readily signed an autograph for the flight attendant.

“Could we also… take a photo together?”

“Absolutely! What app would you like to use?”

Tae-Sung was well-known for being generous with his fans, and he did not disappoint this time either. He took multiple photos from different angles and apps with the flight attendant.

“Thank you so much! You are incredibly kind!”

The flight attendant was deeply moved by Tae-Sung’s friendly demeanor. She had flown with many celebrities, but most of them were arrogant, unbothered, or worse rude.

However, Tae-Sung was quite the opposite, as he was down-to-earth and genuinely friendly despite his wealth and fame.

In addition…

‘He looks even more handsome in person!’

The flight attendant couldn't help but notice his strong physique and sharp looks. However, Tae-Sung himself was purely focused on giving good fan service, so he showed no particular interest in her aside from that.

After drinking a glass of champagne, he fell into a deep sleep until they reached their destination.

The family’s holiday destination was an island in Indonesia.

***

A few hours later, Tae-Sung, his mother, and his younger sister arrived on a remote Indonesian island. The island was privately owned by Cheon Woo-Jin, and it featured a private luxury resort and private yacht that made it an ideal holiday destination.

Tae-Sung planned to enjoy some quality time with his family here, such as barbecuing, playing water sports, and indulging in soothing massages.

‘My son has grown to be such a thoughtful person.’

‘Oppa is really the best!’

Both his mother and younger sister were proud of him, and they genuinely admired him.

Of course, they weren't proud of him because he was family but rather for his upright character. Despite being so young and considerably successful, he had avoided the temptations of luxury and excess. ℞ÃŊỔ฿Ɛṡ

Instead of hosting lavish private parties on secluded islands with models, or worse, succumbing to dangerous vices, he had chosen to spend his vacation in a wholesome way with his family.

Even his spending habits could be considered modest, considering how much he was earning.

“Let’s go,” Tae-Sung said, guiding his mother and younger sister into a car bound for the resort as soon as they got off the private jet.

As they approached the resort, the sound of a thumping beat began to fill the air.

‘What the hell…?’ Tae-Sung wondered.

He looked around and saw a DJ booth in the distance where someone was spinning tracks. He was baffled by the sight, as Cheon Woo-Jin had told him that the island was private and there wouldn't be other guests.

But there, in the heart of the island, there was—

“Yeahhh!”

“Let me hear you scream!”

“Are you readyyyy?!”

—There was a crowd of young people gathered around the DJ booth, partying in broad daylight.

“What the…?”

Tae-Sung was annoyed by the presence of uninvited party-goers disrupting his planned tranquil family retreat.

“Who the hell are they? Huh? Wait…? W-What–?!” Tae-Sung's jaw dropped to the floor upon taking a closer look at the DJ, a young man in sunglasses.

The DJ in sunglasses was none other than Seung-Gu.

“W-What the hell are you doing over there?!” Tae-Sung yelled in shock.

However, Seung-Gu was not the only familiar face. Within the partying crowd were Cheon Woo-Jin, Yong Seol-Hwa, Gosran, Daytona, and a few other gamers Tae-Sung was familiar with.

And that was when it dawned on him...

Tae-Sung trembled in anger after realizing the truth. This was not some coincidence—no, Cheon Woo-Jin had brought their gaming crew to crash Tae-Sung’s peaceful family getaway.

“Hey! Han Tae-Sung!” Cheon Woo-Jin called out. Then, he waved and yelled, “Get changed and come join us—!”

It was then.

Cheon Woo-Jin's face turned ghastly pale, and he couldn't continue his sentence upon noticing Tae-Sung charging at him with a furious face.

“Eh? A-Aaaaah!”

Cheon Woo-Jin sprinted as fast as he could, and Tae-Sung chased after him with fiery rage burning in his eyes.

***

While Tae-Sung was on a vacation on a secluded private island, the capital of the former Zavala Kingdom, Feiogh, was turned upside down as a massive search went underway for the missing knights and soldiers.

Despite the tireless efforts of the military police task force team led by Carell, not even a single trace of the missing men could be found.

“The investigation appears to be at a standstill,” Oscar said.

“Yes, Supreme Commander. So far, we have not found any clues, traces, or even witnesses,” Carell replied after delivering the preliminary report of the investigation.

“What’s the likelihood that the Resistance is behind this?”

There were remnants of patriots of the Zavala Kingdom disguising themselves as civilians and blending in with the public in Feiogh. This movement was known as the Resistance, and they repeatedly carried out guerilla warfare against their occupiers.

It was quite common for them to attack the Proatine troops before disappearing into the shadows, and they had been quite a thorn in the side of the Proatine Forces.

However, this level of resistance was to be expected. After all, the Zavala Kingdom was a great power with centuries of history, so completely subduing it overnight was nearly impossible.

While the occupiers, the Proatine Kingdom, aimed to quell the resistance by winning over the people, they did not pay as much attention to appease the public, as they were planning to withdraw once they found the final piece of the Soul Fragment of Apocalius.

“It is highly unlikely. We are conducting intensive searches from door-to-door throughout Feiogh, but we have not found any bodies. Furthermore, the Guardians are combing the entire city with their own mission in mind, but they, too, have found nothing so far,” Carell replied with certainty.

“Commander Carell,” Oscar spoke with a firm voice.

“Yes, Supreme Commander?”

“I don’t believe in perfect crimes. Every deed leaves some sort of evidence behind, always.”

“I think so too.”

“Begin with areas where disposing of bodies would be easiest such as riverbanks, wells, or forgets with smelters. Don’t overlook any dump sites or incinerators. We might uncover something if we scour them thoroughly.”

“As you command, Supreme Commander.”

“And, Carell. Keep the public order in mind too. Avoid using excessive force, but take strict action against those who refuse to cooperate.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Following Oscar’s orders, Carell resumed the investigation.

One day, two days, three days, and a full week had passed, but the investigation saw no progress at all.

A week later, Carell and his men patrolled Feiogh, still in search of any clues, when they encountered an angry mob.

“You despicable fiends!”

“Do you still call yourselves humans?!”

“Curse you! Curse you all!”

The citizens of Feiogh threw eggs, filth, and stones while hurling curses upon Carell and his men.

‘Huh? What’s going on?’ Carell immediately sensed something was off. It was expected for the Proatine Forces to be met with hostility from the citizens of Feiogh, but this kind of violent angry mob was unprecedented.

‘I have to quell this first,’ Carell thought. Then, he turned to his men and ordered, “Suppress the crowd but keep casualties to a minimum. We will subdue them but make sure that you do not kill anyone.”

“Yes, sir!”

With that, Carell and his men moved to contain the angry mob.

Hours later, during the interrogation of one rioter, Carell received a shocking response.

“What did you just say…? Are you saying that we kidnapped your children?” Carell asked, sounding completely baffled and in disbelief.

“Quit denying it! You fiend!” the rioter spat furiously.

“...?”

“Everyone knows you’ve been kidnapping our children for your vile twisted black magic! You wretch! How dare you call yourself a human?!”

Carell was absolutely speechless. The Proatine Kingdom was abducting children to be used in some sort of black magic ritual? This accusation was absurd and laughable.

“You must be mistaken. Our kingdom has not, in any form, abducted your children. Just what in the world are you talking about?” Carell stated firmly.

“Don’t you dare lie through your teeth! Everyone knows you took our children!”

“...?”

“And it’s not just children! People have been disappearing without a trace all over town, and we know it’s the doing of you fiends!”

“I have no idea where this is coming from nor—”

“Shut up! Just kill me if you want to!”

“...”

“You can do whatever you want, but we will never submit to you lot! We will resist until the last one of us stands!”

Carell realized that continuing the conversation was pointless, so he ordered his men to take the rioters into custody and dig deeper into the reason for their outrage.

After a thorough investigation, the truth finally emerged. This was all due to a misunderstanding, as in recent weeks, mysterious disappearances had been plaguing Feiogh.

While the primary targets were children, adults had vanished without a trace as well. The citizens of Feiogh automatically assumed that these disappearances were the doing of the Proatine Kingdom’s troops.

Feiogh’s public order had fallen so much in the aftermath of the Zavala Kingdom’s downfall that the citizens had nowhere to turn for leadership. This allowed unsubstantiated rumors to begin spreading unchecked, and with no formal authority to report to, the rumors gained traction until they eventually angered the populace.

‘Hold on… mysterious disappearances? This is similar to the case of our missing men, no?’ Carell thought. Then, he went straight to report his new findings to Oscar.

***

“Based on what we have discovered so far, I believe there is a connection between the disappearances of our men and these recent mysterious abductions happening all over Feiogh,” Carell reported.

“I’ve been considering the same possibility, Commander Carell,” Oscar replied with a nod. Then, she added, “Thank you for your hard work.”

“It was nothing, Supreme Commander!”

“We should have realized that public order was starting to break down sooner…” Oscar muttered with a hint of frustration in her voice. Then, she continued, “Our failure to monitor the situation closely led to this delay.”

“If I may—”

Carell was about to speak when an aide suddenly burst into the room.

“Commander, sir! We have an emergency!”

“What is it?” Carell asked.

“Angry mobs have started rioting throughout Feiogh, sir!”

It seemed that the worst possible outcome that could come out of such baseless rumors spreading around and inciting the people had finally come.

The people’s anger had finally erupted, causing them to come out to the streets and riot.

Tokki's Thoughts

Tokki: Where’s all my Indonesian peeps at?

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